“Worth it!” Helri Caandan said. Finally, he along with the other graduates had completed their last stretch and made it to graduation!
On May 4, 2019, Asia-Pacific Nazarene Theological Seminary celebrated its 34th commencement exercises. APNTS has 27 graduates from different parts of the world. It has been a privilege for APNTS to be used by God in the ministry of equipping leaders for Christ.
Dr. Theresa Lua, general secretary of the Asia Theological Association, and the keynote speaker for commencement, challenged the graduates to be servant leaders. She cited a quote by Gordon Smith, President and Professor of Systematic and Spiritual Theology at Ambrose University, that I believe strongly supports APNTS’ existence and mission:
“The quality of society depends on the quality of the church, the quality of the church depends on the quality of the leaders, the quality of the leaders depends on the quality of their training.”
For 35 years, APNTS has been faithfully serving and equipping leaders. APNTS leaders are now ministering and serving to different nations in Asia-Pacific and beyond. APNTS not only became a bridge of cultures and nations, but opened itself and became all things to all leaders for the dissemination of the Gospel with excellent and prepared leaders in the field.
Dr. Romer Macalinao, Dean of Asia Graduate School of Theology, also gave congratulatory remarks to the graduates: “This is a great school that you graduated from, and the message we heard today all about being a great leader will be a challenge for all of you as you go out in the field. God is looking for people who are not just leaders, but great leaders, and to be a great leader is to be a great servant, and to be a servant means to be humble. It means you ought to eat a lot of fried (pride) fried chicken, and pie, humble pie.”
Whenever this big event comes every year, APNTS is always grateful to all people in the community and to God who calls the leaders to follow the call and sustains them to complete it. All things turned out really astounding. Seeing these leaders opening their new journey to wherever God wants to place them, we are sending them with peace, perseverance, and purpose.
Congratulations 2019 APNTS Graduates!
In all things, to God be the glory!
Graduation: https://youtu.be/La1LIzqzSCE
